


Of Monsters and Man

by WickedWyk



Category: Hawkeye (Comics), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Champion! Clint, Clint's sick of Apollo's shit, Cursed Bruce Banner, Deaf Clint Barton, Demigod Steve Rodgers, Dullahan James "Bucky" Barnes, Everyone's sick of Apollo's shit, Fae Tony Stark, Harpy Sam Wison, He's a normal ass guy, M/M, The Avengers are monsters!, Vampire Natasha Romanoff, except for clint
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-01
Updated: 2017-12-01
Packaged: 2019-02-08 22:45:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12874644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WickedWyk/pseuds/WickedWyk
Summary: Being a member of the Avengers is tough, especially when you're the only human on the team.





	1. New Faces and Familiar Places

**Author's Note:**

> A huge thanks to Minubell for beta-reading!
> 
> Natasha: European Vampire  
> Sam: Harpy  
> Steve: Demigod of Zeus (Think Heracles)  
> Tony: Fairy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy)  
> Bruce: Cursed (Think Jekyll and Hyde but big green and angry)  
> Clint: Human  
> Thor: Literal Norse God  
> Bucky: Dullahan (https://dullahan.com/)

They were really a sorry group of people, weren’t they? Oh, person and other, various supernatural beings. Clint had set off alarms as soon as he was introduced to the group. After being toyed with by Loki, actually  _ meeting _ the assembled team had been...hard. Not for him, of course, but for everyone else. He could see nostrils flaring and mouths parting open. Right. It wasn’t super surprising that everybody else was supernatural in some way or the other.

 

Their reunion was about...exactly the same. A lot had happened since he retired. For example, HYDRA was still a thing. Weird, but whatever. SHIELD was  _ no longer _ a thing. Which meant Clint was out of a job. And there were...new Avengers. It had been Natasha’s idea, to get the group back together. After New York...Clint had dropped off the face of the Earth. He was done with being an assassin, and wasn’t some kind of hero. But she’d insisted, and as his only friend, he reluctantly agreed. 

 

But why did it have to be Stark’s place? The room shimmered with so much glamour, it made his head hurt. Stupid eyes. Still, the room was large and fairly comfortable. People were already lounging around. Some were familiar, some weren’t. The first person he locked eyes with was Natasha, who’d been lingering near the entrance. She stood and greeted Clint almost instantly, her nose coming to brush the side of his neck. 

 

It’d become familiar at this point, letting her smell him. Being a vampire and all, her best way of recognizing people was by their scent. It reassured her of his identity, and he didn’t mind. Clint trusted Natasha with his life, even with those teeth so close to his neck. Pulling away as soon as she confirmed who it was, she put a hand on his shoulder and smiled. 

 

“I didn’t think you would come.” Wow, reassuring much? Clint made a face, but didn’t actually feel all too upset. Natasha was never super warm and loving; it was never really her thing. If she was being openly affectionate, it was always a farce. This was her form of casual, and he loved her for it. 

 

“Wasn’t going to.” The archer admitted with a shrug. But Natasha had been right; he needed to get out. Be with others. But he was human; he couldn’t handle the stuff everybody else did. It took him longer to heal, and it showed. It’d been several months since New York, and Clint still bore a few bandages. Not many, but enough to be reminded that he was frailer than the others. Sure, there was Bruce, but he was oftentimes the least human of them all. Sighing, Clint walked into the kitchen and hauled himself up onto the counter.

 

Tony, who had been pouring himself a drink at the counter, turned and greeted the archer with a nod. Clint felt his skin prickle as the billionaire’s gaze settled on him. Fae were always a sore spot with the archer. They made him nervous. Flighty. He knew Tony wasn’t like that, but...old habits were hard to break. Offering an uneasy smile, he did what to could to squash down his nerves. 

 

“Good to see you again, bird boy.” Stark grinned, sliding his glass of scotch down the counter to Clint. Clint accepted the glass, but didn’t make any move to drink it. Tony merely shrugged, grabbing another glass from the cabinet above him and pouring another drink for himself. Clint was...an odd guy. In a world full of monsters and magic, somehow a carnie hick with a bow ended up being chosen as one of the world’s defenders. To top it off, he was human. Almost painfully so. Closing the bottle to the alcohol, Tony brought his drink to his lips. “Cap’s on his way. ‘Til then, why don’t you say hi to everybody? You haven’t been around any of us since-”

 

It was at that moment the door flew open, revealing an anxious Captain America. There was a smile on his face, but the worry in his eyes was enough to send the few people in the room stiff and alert. Another man was right behind him, his face unfamiliar to all but Natasha. Clint tilted his head with a frown at the stranger. The man had dark skin and eyes and sported a small amount of well-groomed facial hair. Hair? No, feathers. 

 

He was a harpy. Instead of arms, he had massive wings with clawed hands sprouting around the alula feathers. It was clear that he was trying to conserve space, with how close he tucked his wings to his body. Clint took a sip from his drink, quirking an eyebrow. 

 

“What was that you were saying about a Bird Boy?” He muttered into his cup.

 

Steve flashed him a displeased look, but didn’t feed into Clint’s remark. In contrast, the other man smiled at the remark. Instead of arguing with Clint, Steve walked the rest of the way into the room. His blue eyes swept across the small group, his arms crossed. The harpy man entered as well, his hands in his pockets.

 

“Alright. Before I make any introductions, I need you all to do a few things. There’s another person here for the reunion, and he...uh…”

 

“He has a few stipulations in order to keep himself and others safe.” Natasha supplemented. Steve nodded to her explanation, grateful for her help. Her lips quirked upwards somewhat but she didn’t respond. Taking a deep breath, the Captain continued. 

 

“Okay, first off? No gold. He’s got a phobia.” Looks were exchanged throughout the room, eyes resting on Clint. The archer’s eyes widened slightly, but he didn’t hesitate. He’d been getting a lot of gold jewelry as gifts, and appeased the gifter by wearing some of it. Clint unhooked his small hoop earrings, as well as a simple gold chain around his neck. He slid a couple rings from his fingers as well. Natasha accepted the accessories with an open hand, stalking away to stash his stuff. 

 

“Second? You all need nicknames.” Steve continued despite the confused looks from Tony and Clint. Nicknames? What, was this guy one of the Fair Folk? The whole “name” thing had long since been a taboo in their culture, but...really? Clint cast a doubtful look at Tony, but relented. 

 

“Did I hear that right?” The archer tapped one of his purple hearing aids, his expression doubtful. Steve nodded, and Clint’s frown deepened. He didn’t like this. “Fine. I’ll go by Hawkeye.” 

 

“He can just call me Tony. It’s not my full name anyways.” Seemingly happy with this, Steve nodded and gestured to the harpy. 

 

“This is Sam. He’s a friend of mine. He wanted to come along and meet all you guys, and I needed the help.” Sam, in question, smiled and waved. For a big bird man, he was surprisingly calm and friendly. Clint managed a small wave, turning his attention back to his drink. Natasha returned back to the kitchen and leaned against the counter. “So, uh...I guess he can come in now.” Steve exited the same way he entered, leaving the room in puzzled silence. Well, Tony and Clint were puzzled. A little on edge, in fact. Fae were bad news in general. 

 

“So what’s with this other guy? Is he some sort of-” Clint stopped dead as Steve returned a few seconds later with another man in tow. All the blood drained from the archer’s face at the sight of the new man. Tony, well...Tony straight up disappeared. His form shimmered with glamour, but it was too difficult to focus on the billionaire. The glass of scotch fell from Stark’s hand, shattering as soon as it hit the ground. 

 

The new guy...he didn’t have a head. Instead, there was just a stump and a trail of smoke. The guy was...carrying his head in his hands. Clint felt sick. He was staring death itself right in the face-er-stump. The archer turned at the sound of a body hitting the ground. And...Tony passed out. His invisible form flickered back into sight almost instantly. He looked white as a sheet, the distress clear on his unconscious face. 

 

“What the hell, man? That’s the  _ Winter Soldier!”  _ More importantly, the Winter Soldier was a  _ Dullahan _ . A being of  _ literal death _ . No wonder Tony had passed out from fear! The Dullahan stiffened, taking a step back from the archer’s accusatory glare. Steve placed a reassuring hand on the man’s shoulder, his face hardening to scowl at Clint. 

 

“This is my friend, Bucky Barnes. Yes, he’s a Dullahan. But he’s...he’s not the Winter Soldier. Not any more. He’s-” Steve stopped, trying and failing to find a proper explanation. Squeezing Bucky’s shoulder gently, the headless Fae exhaled shakily. It seemed as if nobody was super comfortable in this situation. 

 

“We met when HYDRA attacked.” Natasha added. She looked between an uneasy Clint and a tense Steve. Clint would get over his fear and suspicion. It would just take a little while. Steve exhaled loudly and forced his expression to soften. Of course Clint was nervous about new, strange creatures. He was naturally flighty to start with, but being human around immensely powerful beings only amplified his anxiety. 

“Bucky’s like you, Clint; retired. He’s not doing the assassin work, nor is he officially a Dullahan any more. He’s just...He’s taking time to heal. I thought you two could...bond.” He offered the human a smile in apology. Clint and Bucky had both been through some rough times, and were both in therapy. Not to mentioned the shared brainwashing. Having a little support would surely help the both of them. 

 

Clint snorted, hopping off the counter and straight into the shattered glass and scotch. He landed with the crunch of glass and a yell, tripping and falling over Tony’s unconscious body. Groaning, he looked up at Bucky. Despite the new gash in his foot, he had a goofy, crooked grin on his face. 

 

“Welcome to Brainwashed Assassins Anonymous. Currently it’s just me and Tasha, so it’s good to have a new member. And it’s...not very anonymous. But yeah. Welcome.” 

  
  



	2. A Good Head (Not) On His Shoulders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky is retired from killing officially, but reaping is a different story. Adjusting to the world of the living is hard, but not as hard as shaking off the Unsealie court. Thoughts of the past are interrupted when a new face appears in the tower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a pretty gruesome scene of Civil War violence in this chapter. I have it marked off with --- If you decide you don't want to read it. There's also some swearing in this chapter.
> 
> Natasha: European Vampire  
> Sam: Harpy  
> Steve: Demigod of Zeus (Think Heracles)  
> Tony: Fairy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy)  
> Bruce: Cursed (Think Jekyll and Hyde but big green and angry)  
> Clint: Human  
> Thor: Literal Norse God  
> Bucky: Dullahan (https://dullahan.com/)  
> Apollo: Literal Greek God.

It wasn’t Natasha who reacted poorly to Clint bleeding all over the place; it was Bucky. He staggered backwards with a yelp, eyes locked on the crimson that leaked from the archer’s foot. It wasn’t too bad, thankfully, but the smell was enough.

 

It’s said that smell is the closest sense connected to memory. In this case, it was true. The tang of copper was sent him reeling into the past. The kitchen in Avengers tower faded from existence as he was thrown back into thoughts of his job. Bucky didn’t even notice when the grip on his head faltered, sending it toppling to the ground.

 

\---

 

_There was blood everywhere. People were screaming, wailing between blasts of gunpowder and drumbeats. The Civil War had been the worst, with all its guns and cannons. Grapeshot eviscerated a soldier to his left, leaving a raw hole where his torso had once belonged. The Union boy crumpled to the ground, a strangled cry gurgling in his throat. The Dullahan took the time to kneel beside him, whispering in his ear. The young soldier fell still at the sound of his name, the last of his breath wheezing out._

 

_Blood ran like a river in the field. It stained the grass crimson and attracted swarms of flies. In the hot summer day, the smell was stifling. He had a job. Had a list. But he was growing so tired, so weary of all this violence and death._

 

_\---_

  


The world snapped back into reality in dizzying clarity, the mud and carnage replaced with a clean kitchen and bright lights. Bucky blinked, realizing immediately that he frightened everyone in the room. He didn’t need his head to see, but he immediately knew why everyone was afraid. The mouth on his head had opened to its full length, slicing to either side of his cheeks. They eyes in his skull rolled wildly as it took upon its natural form. Immediately did he bend down and grab his head, a flush coming to his neck and shoulders. Not many laid eyes on a Dullahan and lived.

 

But he was retired, so it was fine. Swallowing hard, he lifted his own head by the hair and settled it onto his head. The expression settled instantly into a calmer, much more human look. Bucky wrung his hands, anxiety prickling in his chest. He shouldn’t have come; this was a massive mistake.

 

A hand gripped his shoulder tightly, and Bucky quickly realized it was Steve’s. Steve didn’t look frightened like the blond in the room, but rather, he was concerned. He inclined his head to the Dullahan and sighed.

 

“Another flashback?” Bucky nodded, careful to keep his head on. The Demigod’s mouth set in a hard line. Bucky had been remembering things with alarming clarity, though it was never in any actual order. Some memories ranged as far back as the 1100’s. They’d been more common in the past few weeks, leaving him breathless and confused. He knew his job, of course. It was practically ingrained in his being. But each new revelation of the horrors of such a duty made him less and less willing to continue.

 

“Clint! Baby, what happened?”

 

A flutter of movement near the counter stopped the conversation in its tracks. Eyes flew to the man standing behind Clint. He wasn’t there before...but now he was? Tension crackled in the air as the stranger knelt beside the archer, hooking his arms under Clint’s and hauling him up.

 

He was...beautiful. There was no other way to put it. His skin was dark, darker than Sam’s and dotted with freckles. Muscles rippled beneath scarred skin as he settled Clint on the counter, fussing over the cut on the Avenger’s foot. Clint scowled, squirming away from the doting man with curses. Four sets of eyes flickered from Clint to the golden-haired man.

 

“Dammit, man! I told you not t’ bother me today!”

 

As soon as Clint spoke, the tension in the room snapped. A low growl rumbled in Natasha’s chest, her teeth bared. Sam acted similarly with his feathers bristled in suspicion. The stranger waved a hand dismissively at the onlookers as if he wasn’t even fazed by the danger in the room. He turned and appraised the small group, tilting his head slightly.

 

“So you guys are the Avengers, huh? Clint never wants to tell me anything about you guys.”

 

Bucky gasped at the sight of the man’s eyes, his breath catching in his throat. Fear struck him immobile at those gleaming metallic eyes. Gold...he could never get over his fear of gold. He could feel himself tremble, feel his chest tighten. It was only when Steve stepped forward and obscured Bucky’s vision was he able to break his immobility. Unable to act, he cowered behind the Demigod.

 

“Who are you? Why are you here?” Steve stiffened as he blocked Bucky from view. He didn’t notice as he puffed up, suddenly feeling very, _very_ defensive of his friend. The man gasped in mock surprise, a hand resting on his chest dramatically.

 

“ _What?_ Clint never told you about me?” The golden haired man whipped back around to glare at Clint, his lip sticking out childishly. “Clinty, babe! What the heck? I thought we had something special!” Clint sneered, crossing his arms as the man knelt to inspect his wound. The dark-skinned stranger snapped his fingers. Instantly did glass fall from the cut on the archer’s left foot; the wound immediately becoming stitched and bandages. Seemingly satisfied, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the ball of Clint’s foot.

“Cut that shit out, Apollo.” Clint growled. The God stood, a light-hearted giggle escaping his lips. He leaned and kissed Clint on the forehead this time. The archer scowled, but didn’t move to stop him. Apollo spread his arms wide with a Stark-like flare, a huge grin on his face.

 

“I am Apollo, God of Olympus! Bask in my-” He was cut short by a kick to the back from Clint. Hawkeye barked a rough, cruel laugh as Apollo tripped over Tony and fell. The movement startled Stark awake, who almost immediately sprung up and threw Apollo off. Apollo, in question, chuckled brightly from his position on the floor.

 

“Apollo: God of the Sun, Music, Medicine, Art, and Knowledge.” Clint remarked smugly. “Downed by a single kick from a mortal.” He hopped down from the counter once more, careful to avoid the glass this time. He offered a hand to Apollo, who accepted it and sprang up effortlessly. The God practically hung off Clint with an arm around the Avenger's shoulder. Golden curls bouncing as he turned, his already huge smile widened to reveal perfect white teeth. 

"This is Clint, my full-time champion and part-time booty call-" A sharp elbow to the ribs cut him short. Apollo stuck his lower lip out childishly, but relented. Tony staggered out of the center of the kitchen and settled into a barstool; he looked just as pale as before. Natasha finally broke the tense silence, her emerald eyes darting between Clint and Apollo. 

"What the _hell_ , Clint? You didn't think this was important to tell us?" Oh no, there was the angry mom look. Clint did his best to hide, while Steve stepped forward. His initial suspicion melted into excitement and even...hope? Apollo took interest, inclining his head to the large blond. 

"You're really Apollo? Do you, um...You've met Zeus?" The carefree look on the man's face faded at the mention of Zeus. His opinion of the God of Thunder was obvious; he did  _not_ like Zeus. "Because, um...he's my father." Apollo's face fell even further. He slumped his shoulders, seemingly disappointed at this news. 

"Well, there went my plans for today." A hot blush crept onto Steve's cheeks at the connotation. "Another half-sibling will have to do, I suppose. It's a shame, really. I have a thing for blondes." He released Clint and hopped into the counter himself. He was seemingly content with hanging around the tower, much to Clint's dismay. Clint cast a withering glance to Apollo, pinching the bridge of his nose. He hated it when Apollo came and meddled; it always put him in a bad mood. Hopefully the God would get bored and leave. 


End file.
